390 Account of the Arhoretum ncns forming 



us in our Hortus Britannicus, and in our Arbo7'etum Brztannicum, 

 seems preferable to any less generally known. 



Mr. Paxton remarks that round the pond, at the grotto (g. 

 Jig. 52.), is the warmest place about Chatsworth ; and that 

 there a pinetum was commenced some years ago. " We have," 

 he says, "made this pinetum complete; and have, therefore, 

 only put such hardy and common kinds of Coniferae in their pro- 

 per place [at />, near 72. in j*^. 52.] as we could readily procure. 

 This is the only deviation from the arrangement in your Hortus 

 Britannicus; and I consider it of no importance, as it does not 

 interfere with the pinetum. The salicetum is planted round a 

 pond [j9, near 70.]; a situation which suits willows admirably. 

 " Previously to the commencement of the arboretum, the whole 

 space which it occupies, from 1. to 75., was covered with timber 

 trees : these we have cleared away, so as to suit each genus with 

 light, shelter, or shade, as it might require. The situation, 

 though so much elevated, is yet, by the existing trees, so well 

 sheltered, that, with this aid, our deep trenching, and the supply, 

 when necessary, of peat or sandy soil, the plants, in a few years, 

 will have made immense progress. There are about 1670 species 

 and varieties already planted ; and these will be increased, in a 

 year or two, to about 2000. The whole length of the walk occu- 

 pied with the arboretum is nearly a mile. The various bends in 

 the walk may be accounted for by the unevenness of the ground, 

 and its steepness in many places. The plants of those orders, 

 the ligneous species of which do not grow large, such as Cruci- 

 ferse, Cistineae, &c., are planted near to the walk, and occupy 

 both sides of it ; and the larger ones, although planted similarly 

 along both sides of the walk, are made to extend beyond the 

 others to a considerable distance from it, as the bare inspection 

 of the plan will show. The whole are planted at such distances 

 from each other as their habits of growth require. Should 2000 

 more hardy trees and shrubs than can at present be purchased 

 in the nurseries be introduced, there is plenty of space on each 

 side of the walk to plant them. It is rather difficult to say exactly 

 how much ground the plants at present occupy, as we have not 

 measured it ; but I think the 75 groups cover about 40 acres. 



" It is a great feature in this business, that the ground, the 

 plants, the formation of the walk, the labour, &c., have not cost 

 His Grace sixpence ; the plants having been purchased, the 

 ground prepared, and the trees planted, and all other expenses 

 paid, with the produce of the trees cut down to make room for 

 the walk and the groups. This you should, in some degree, 

 point out to gentlemen who wish to introduce such an important 

 feature as an arboretum in their country seats. At nine places 

 out of ten, throughout the country, an arboretum might be 

 accomplished on this plan : and I scarcely know a country seat 



